Oriel Wrexham New Arts and Culture Centre

The Arts Council of Wales has approved £2.3 million of funding to develop an Arts and Cultural Space in Wrexham town centre’s People’s Market.

OW (Oriel Wrecsam Gallery) is delighted to report that the Arts Council of Wales has announced that they will support the development of an Arts and Cultural Space at the People’s Market in Wrexham. The support, in addition to funding from Wrexham County Borough Council and Welsh Government through the Vibrant and Viable Places programme, means that this major regeneration project, designed by Architects Featherstone Young, can become a reality. The reimagining of a multi-storey car park and indoor market will see a unique blend of uses to create a new destination for the town centre. It is anticipated that construction work will begin in January 2017 and relaunched in Spring 2018.

Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities and Partnerships, said:

“This is excellent news and I am delighted that the Arts Council of Wales has recognised the potential of, and its support for, this project. The investment of £1.5m by Wrexham Council in the future of the Arts Hub and Peoples Market has attracted a further £3m in funding. We will now work together with our partners in art and culture, together with market traders, to develop an Arts Hub and integral Market that will serve to attract visitors to Wrexham and across the region.”

Cllr Neil Rogers, Lead Member for Economy and Regeneration, said:

“I am very pleased that this grant has been awarded which will signal the start of over £4.5 million of investment in the market and the town centre itself. It is an innovative scheme and one which see the regeneration of the People’s Market for use as a dual purpose facility for the benefit of the traders and the arts in Wrexham. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Arts Council for their generous support and all the staff who have worked tirelessly to reach this stage of the process.”

Kath Davies, Director of Investment and Funding Services with Arts Council of Wales, said:

“This project provides an exciting opportunity to create an innovative hub for creative activity that will inspire and nurture the ambition of communities across Wrexham and the wider area. This is an unique opportunity for the arts community and market traders to work alongside each other to develop a vibrant space which will play a key part in the regeneration of the town centre.”

Council Leader, Cllr Mark Pritchard, said:

“I am delighted we have been granted this money and hope this is one of many partnership opportunities to regenerate Wrexham town centre.”

The new space will comprise of a doubling of exhibition space to allow OW to present a wide variety of exhibitions, improved learning studios to expand the offer to children and young people.

A mixed use space will see film, performances and conferences held.

The development of creative industries in the town will be encouraged through the provision of studio spaces and there will be a food court with bar facilities to compliment the evening economy in the town centre.

Gallery retail space will enhance the exhibition programme and a multi-function flexispace will provide monthly markets and performances in addition to improved market trading and retail opportunities.
For many years OW has worked hard with local Further and Higher Education providers, creative industries representatives, market traders, other arts organisations and artists to ensure that this important project will provide a welcome boost to the local economy. It will be an exciting and innovative space which will inspire future generations.

Regeneration, engagement, community cohesion, regional tourism, training and increasing employment opportunities are at the heart of this project which will celebrate Wrexham’s creative identity as a place to live, work, learn, play, invest and do business.

Steffan Jones-Hughes, Arts Manager at OW, said:

“We will draw on a rich seam of creative thinking in Wrexham that stretches back to papermaking for the first bank notes and world class ironwork. We believe that this new space will harness Wrexham’s history of risk and experimentation by providing future generations with opportunities in this creative town.”
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Featherstone Younghttp://featherstoneyoung.com

Headed by Sarah Featherstone and Jeremy Young, the practice was established in 2002 and has delivered a considerable number of high quality buildings. Their work has been widely acknowledged as critical and inspiring – reflected in considerable client satisfaction, numerous awards, exhibitions and extensive media coverage.

The practice have been widely published in AJ, BD, Wallpaper, Blueprint, Vogue, Sunday Times, Elle Decorations

“Many graduates from Glyndwr University are dedicated to building creative businesses, helping to sustain confidence and promote investment in the town. Current students at the North Wales School of Art and Design are fully engaged in the wide variety of creative projects available. There is certainly no denying that the Arts and Cultural Space proposal is an appealing attraction for potential applicants to the university.

Historically Oriel Wrescam has played a significant role in promoting the arts to a wide audience. It has consistently championed inclusivity and social engagement. The current arts and cultural space development proposal presents Wrexham with an opportunity to build a creative environment to nurture creative lifestyles, sustaining and further improving the well-being of Wrexham town community and its visitors.”

Paul R Jones, Artist and Lecturer, Glyndwr University

“The Oriel Wrecsam / People’s Market development is a truly exceptional opportunity for the town of Wrexham and the whole North-East of Wales, and will be the envy of other towns across the region. Like any successful major cultural project, Oriel Wrecsam has been careful to be responsive to its context and has worked in consultation with the people of Wrexham. The result will be a cultural asset that Wrexham can be proud of, and that will benefit the town in terms of trade and well-being.

Oriel Wrecsam is widely anticipated by arts professionals across Wales: leading this initiative is a highly competent and respected team of people whose vision of Wrexham is for a forward-looking and attractive place to live and work. Given due respect and trust, Oriel Wrecsam’s impact on the town in the long-term will be fundamental and transformative.”

Chris Brown is an artist, musician, co-founder and co-director of g39 in Cardiff.

“As an arts organisation based in Wrexham, FOCUS Wales welcomes the new ‘Arts Hub’. The scale and ambition of the project are equal to the significance of the arts scene in Wrexham and to the reputation Wrexham has developed as a home for the arts in North East Wales.”

Neal Thompson, Co-Founder, FOCUS Wales which takes place 12-14 May

“There is already a strong audience for the arts in Wrexham, and it is an area that I have seen grow massively within the last 10 years, as a result of a lot of hard work from a large, determined community of individuals and organisations who believe in the town and support the talent that exists here.”